“Gave Me a Little More Confidence” – Chelsea Prodigy Reveals How His Brace Against Wrexham Has Had a Positive Impact on His Mindset

Wrexham AFC started their US pre-season tour against Premier League giants Chelsea in the worst possible manner. Chelsea’s talented crop of youngsters demolished the Red Dragons with the scoreline reading 5-0 at the end of 90 minutes. The wrecker-in-chief for The Blues was Dutch fullback Ian Maatsen. The 21-year-old prodigy’s brace and defensive prowess ensured that the Red Dragons were completely outplayed on both sides of the pitch. As expected, this decisive performance against Wrexham has boosted his morale for the good.

Ian Maatsen reveals the positive impact of his impressive performance against Wrexham

Ian Maatsen, playing for the first time under Mauricio Pochettino, delivered a match-winning performance against Wrexham. The talented full-back scored two goals in the first half to set up Chelsea’s dominating win against the Red Dragons.

What’s impressive was the defensive acumen of the Dutchman. The 21-year-old matched his offensive outputs with equally impressive defensive exploits. He was cool under pressure, solid with his positioning and dribbling, and made forward passes brilliantly.

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Speaking to Chelsea’s social media team, the young lad admitted the morale boost after the performance. But he also shared how he doesn’t let it get it to his head, as his focus is already on the next match. “The goals against Wrexham were a great start and gave me a little more confidence. But it’s always about the next step and thinking about what more I can do to help the team with my performance on the pitch,” said the 21-year-old.

Ian Maatsen – A future superstar in the making

Chelsea’s recruitment team scouted Ian Maatsen when he was playing for the Dutch U-16 team and PSV Eindhoven in 2018. Maatsen soon made his first team debut under Frank Lampard’s reign in 2019. Seeing his potential, the lad was then sent for loan spells at Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, and Burnley.

Maatsen managed to be a fan favorite at all three clubs thanks to his sheer versatility. The Dutchman can easily shift from playing as a full-back to winger to center-back to even as a central midfielder. Thanks to these attributes, the 21-year-old was given a chance by Pochettino. Safe to say, he made the most of it!

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Do you see Ian Maatsen breaking into Chelsea’s first team this season? Drop your thoughts on this young lad below!